Mei Lin and Ed moved through the depths of the market, weaving past dim stalls and narrow lanes. Suddenly, Mei Lin halted, her brows knitting. "Are you sure? He's the one we've been looking for?"
Tashi's voice crackled through the phone on the other end, tense and firm. "Yes. It's him… and he's dead now."
Mei Lin ended the call with a sharp tap and turned to Ed. "We have to go."
Ed frowned, confused. "What happened…?"
They quickened their pace, heading in the opposite direction. But just as they turned a corner, a figure crossed their path—Keal—rushing past, with two men close behind, clearly in pursuit. Ed and Mei Lin stepped aside to let them pass, but Mei Lin's gaze lingered. For a brief moment, everything seemed to slow. A strange, unfamiliar presence brushed against her senses as her eyes met Keal's. What is that…? This presence… It feels familiar.
"What's wrong with them?" Ed muttered in frustration. "Looks like they're bullying him. Should we stop them?"
"No," Mei Lin said firmly, tearing her gaze away. "Ignore them. We have an emergency. Let's get out of here."
They continued along their path, passing the stairway. From the shadows above, the boss spotted Ed and Mei Lin. The moment his eyes fell on them, his expression darkened, and he quickly pulled his companion back into hiding. They crouched low, holding their breath as the pair passed.
Only after Ed and Mei Lin were gone did the boss step out, his eyes still fixed on the path they had taken. "Was that… them?" his companion whispered.
"Yes," the boss muttered, his jaw tight. "Government dogs. Bloody bastards…"
He descended the stairs slowly, one step at a time. At the bottom, his gaze swept to the right—the direction the two had gone moments earlier—then shifted left, where Keal had fled with his pursuers close behind. Turning that way, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a can, and cracked it open with a sharp fizz. The sound echoed faintly in the dim corridor as he took a long sip.
"How is it? Do you feel any difference?" his companion asked, glancing at the drink in his hand.
"No. It's the same. I don't feel a thing—it's just… normal."
"Maybe it starts slow. Or maybe it kicks in later, when you use your power."
"Yeah… maybe you're right. Whatever. Let's go for hunt." He started walking again, the can still in his hand, each sip echoing in the dim air as they headed deeper into the market.
Gou glanced at the body in the trash box and asked quietly, "Tashi… is this the guy you were looking for?"
Tashi nodded, his expression grim. "Yes. It's him—the mysterious man who disappeared in the abandoned area."
Gou frowned. "Didn't you say he was being followed by a high-frequency user? Then maybe he was killed by that person. Shouldn't you inform Ethan? After all, this is his case."
"Maybe you're right," Tashi muttered, his gaze lingering on the lifeless form. "If a high-level Elthera was involved, it's possible the victim was one as well. Ethan couldn't come here, that's why Mei Lin was sent. She'll determine whether he was killed by an Elthera… or not."
"Then we should take the body out of the box before Ms. Mei Lin arrives," Gou suggested.
"No," Tashi said sharply. "Don't touch it. Just come this way."
As Gou stepped aside, Tashi crouched near the corpse, his eyes scanning the bloodied flesh and torn clothes. After a moment, he turned to Gou. "I don't think he was an Elthera… but I can guess he died from torture."
Gou frowned. "Maybe he knew something he shouldn't have—or did something that crossed the line. That's why he got killed."
In the void of endless black, a voice slithered through the darkness, echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"What reason do you have to do this? No one can stand on both sides. You must choose one. If you try to stay in between, you will create only disaster, and everything will be ruined."
The body lay in that abyss, broken and bleeding, its wounds seeping into the void like ink spreading through water.
""I am Death," the voice whispered, low and cold. "I take your life… and now, go—hunt. This is your punishment. Show them what happens when someone dares to stand against us."
"What did he know… that cost him his life so brutally?" Tashi muttered, his voice heavy with unease.
"I think it's the work of a psychopath," Gou replied coldly. "Do you suspect anyone capable of something like this? Has anyone done something similar before?"
Tashi shook his head. "No… I have no idea."
Their words faded into the night, but before another breath could pass, a heavy pressure filled the air. It was oppressive—suffocating. Both men froze as a chill crawled down their spines.
"Look… behind you," Gou whispered, his voice trembling.
Tashi turned slowly. His breath caught in his throat. The corpse they had been discussing now stood upright, its head lowered, its frame stiff and unnatural—like a puppet waiting for strings to pull.
"He's… alive!" Tashi stammered, taking a cautious step forward. "Hey… listen! Come out from the trash heap and tell me what happened!"
Gou exhaled slowly, his voice a strained whisper—more warning than words.
"I don't think… that's a good idea."
Before his fingers could touch it, the thing threw its head back and screamed—a raw, piercing wail that tore through the silence.
"Aaaaah!"
Tashi staggered back, heart pounding, but the scream only grew sharper, louder, until it rattled their bones. Both of them dropped to their knees, hands clamped over their ears.
"What the hell is going on?!" Gou shouted, his voice barely cutting through the noise. "That's not human!"
Before their eyes, the corpse's body began to crack and twist. Flesh split, oozing and melting away as bones warped, stretching into something massive. Scales burst through the decaying skin. A serpentine form rose, grotesque and writhing—a monster that was part snake, part dragon.
The inhuman howl turned into a monstrous roar, shaking the ground beneath them.
"What the hell is this?!" Tashi yelled, his voice hoarse. "Run!"
They stumbled to their feet and bolted, their footsteps swallowed by the monster's terrible scream.
The monster's scream cut off abruptly. For a brief, chilling moment, its twisted gaze locked onto Tashi and Gou as they fled. Then, with a sudden, violent surge, it launched itself into the air and shot toward the city at terrifying speed.
"This is bad—really bad," Tashi muttered, his voice tense. "Gou! Inform the Control Center, now! I'll alert Mei Lin!"
Gou was already speaking into his communicator, his tone urgent.
"A huge monster has been sighted at Mon City Bridge! It's heading toward the city at high speed! I repeat, a huge monster has been sighted at Mon City Bridge! It's heading toward the city at high speed! This area is dangerous—evacuate immediately! I repeat, this area is dangerous—evacuate immediately!"
The two of them broke into a sprint, racing after the beast.
"There's no way we can reach the city before it does," Gou hissed between breaths.
Keal ran, his footsteps echoing in the narrow alley. Behind him, two shadows pursued without pause—relentless, like predators closing in on prey. The path came to a dead end, a cold wall rising before him.
The path suddenly ended in a solid wall. There was no way out. No matter how fast he ran, escape was impossible.
They closed in, flanking him from both sides, their eyes cold and unyielding.
"You bastard," one of them snarled, eyes blazing. "What were you doing there, huh?"
Keal raised his hands slightly, forcing a shaky smile. "Wait, wait—you've got it all wrong. I was just passing by! Pure coincidence, that's all."
A voice drifted from behind the two men, calm yet mocking.
"Oh, really? Hah… so that's how you're going to accuse us? Interesting."
Another pair approached—the boss and his lackey. The boss strolled casually, a can in his hand. He took a long drink, then crushed it between his fingers and tossed it aside. His eyes glinted with amusement.
"So, should we let you go then?" he murmured.
Before Keal could react, the man blurred. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared right in front of Keal. The sudden proximity made Keal's breath hitch.
"What do you think I'm going to do with you?" the boss whispered, his smile cold.
What… What just happened? Keal's eyes widened in shock. He was over there—how did he suddenly appear in front of me? Did he… teleport?
Before he could make sense of it, a fist slammed into his stomach. The impact stole the air from his lungs, and pain surged through his body, with a follow-up kick sent him flying, his back smashing against the wall before he crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Didn't I ask you something—" The boss's words cut off as a piercing emergency siren wailed through the air.
"What the hell is going on?" the boss muttered.
"Isn't that the evacuation siren? The one for when monsters appear?" one of the men said nervously.
"Yeah, you're right… but monsters haven't shown themselves in this country for centuries. How could they suddenly appear now, of all times?" another added, disbelief in his voice.
"Whatever," the boss growled. "Right now, I'm more interested in kicking your ass."
Keal lay on the ground, pain rippling through his body as he spat a mouthful of saliva.
"What if I use Frequency Level Eight on you?" the boss sneered. He started walking toward Keal, tapping the device strapped to his arm. The display flickered as he set the frequency.
But before he could finish, the wall before them cracked with a thunderous crash. Stone shattered and flew in all directions as a massive figure forced its way through— a monster, breaking in with unstoppable force.